militarywikiaorg-20200222-history
223rd Brigade (United Kingdom)
|allegiance= |branch= British Army |type= Infantry |role= Home Defence |size= Brigade |garrison= |current_commander= |notable_commanders=Brigadier Sir Alexander Stanier, Bart |battles= |decorations= |battle_honours }} ::223rd Independent Infantry Brigade (Home), 223rd Mixed Brigade and 3rd Provisional Brigade (United Kingdom) redirect here The 223rd Brigade was a Home Defence formation of the British Army in World War I and World War II. It existed under several variations of the 223 Brigade title, and was eventually converted into an airborne formation. World War I On the outbreak of World War I the Territorial Force (TF) immediately mobilised for home defence, but shortly afterwards (31 August 1914), its units were authorised to raise 2nd battalions formed from those men who had not volunteered for, or were not fit for, overseas service, together with new volunteers, while the 1st Line went overseas to supplement the Regulars.Becke, p. 6. Early in 1915 the 2nd Line TF battalions were raised to full strength to form new divisions, and began to form Reserve (3rd Line) units to supply drafts.Becke, pp. 6, 65. The remaining Home Service men were separated out in May 1915 to form brigades of Coast Defence Battalions (termed Provisional Battalions from June 1915).Porter 3rd Provisional Brigade 3rd Provisional Brigade was formed mainly from details of regiments from Eastern England, with the following composition:3rd Provisional Brigade War Diary, The National Archives, Kew file WO 95/5458. * 3rd Provisional Yeomanry Squadron (from the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry and the Lovat Scouts) * 3rd Provisional Cyclist Company * 3rd Provisional Battery and Ammunition Column Royal Field Artillery * 43rd Provisional Battalion (from the King's Regiment (Liverpool))http://www.1914-1918.net/kings.htm * 62nd Provisional Battalion (from the 4th Bn Northamptonshire Regiment and the Cambridgeshire Regiment) * 64th Provisional Battalion * 66th Provisional Battalion * 67th Provisional Battalion * 3rd Provisional Brigade Train Army Service Corps * 3rd Provisional Field Ambulance Royal Army Medical Corps (from 2nd Welsh Field Ambulance) Under the command of Brigadier-General H.J. Archdale, the brigade was attached to 69th (2nd East Anglian) Division in the area around Thetford, Newmarket and Bury St Edmunds under the control of First Army of Central Force (18 September–16 October 1915).Becke, pp. 91–8. When 3rd Provisional Brigade left 69th Division, it also had the following units attached to it: * 117th Heavy Battery Royal Garrison Artillery * Half of 1/1st Devon Heavy Battery RGA * No 2 Armoured Train * 1/6th (Cyclist) Battalion Norfolk Regiment * 2/25th (Cyclist) Battalion London Regiment In March 1916 the Provisional Brigades were concentrated along the South and East Coast of England. 3rd Provisional Brigade came under the orders of Northern Army, with its battalions billeted across Norfolk as follows:Distribution of Northern and Southern Armies (Home Defence), The National Archives file WO 33/765. * Brigade Headquarters: Holt * 43rd Provisional Battalion Weybourne * 62nd Provisional Battalion Sheringham * 64th Provisional Battalion Salthouse * 66th Provisional Battalion Cley next the Sea * 67th Provisional Battalion Darsham 223rd Mixed Brigade The Military Service Act 1916 swept away the Home/Foreign service distinction, and all TF soldiers became liable for overseas service, if medically fit. The Provisional Brigades thus became anomalous, and at the end of 1916 their units became numbered battalions of their parent units. Part of their role was physical conditioning to render men fit for drafting overseas. 3rd Provisional Brigade became 223rd Mixed Brigade in December 1916, with its units redesignated as follows:http://www.warpath.orbat.com/misc_units/misc_unallot_uk.htm#223_bde * 43rd Provisional Battalion became 25th Battalion King's Regiment * 62nd Provisional Battalion became 9th Battalion Northampton Regimenthttp://www.1914-1918.net/northants.htm * 64th Provisional Battalion became 14th Battalion Suffolk Regimenthttp://www.1914-1918.net/suffolks.htm * 66th Provisional Battalion became 16th Battalion Essex Regiment and transferred to 71st DivisionBecke, pp. 102–3.http://www.1914-1918.net/essex.htm * 67th Provisional Battalion became 17th Battalion Essex Regiment * 3rd Provisional Field Company became 642nd (London) Field Company Royal Engineers * 3rd Provisional Battery and Ammunition Column became 1205th (West Lancashire) Battery RFA * 3rd Provisional Brigade Train became 835th Company ASC * 3rd Provisional Field Ambulance became 331st Field Ambulance RAMC The brigade was attached to 64th (2nd Highland) Division. In May 1918 each of the Mixed Brigades was called upon to provide a battalion (redesignated a Garrison Guard battalion) to reconstitute the 59th (2nd North Midland) Division, which had been virtually destroyed during the German Spring Offensive. 223rd Mixed Bde supplied 25th The King's (Liverpool) Regiment and immediately raised a new 27th (Home Service) Battalion King's to take over its coast defence duties.Becke, pp. 20–21.http://www.warpath.orbat.com/regts/kings_liverpool.htm The brigade remained with this composition until the end of the war, after which it was demobilised. World War II In World War II the brigade number was reactivated for 223rd Independent Infantry Brigade (Home). formed for service in the United Kingdom in Eastern Command.Joslen, p. 386. 223rd Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) For its entire career the brigade was commanded by Brigadier Sir Alexander Stanier, Bart and once again it initially comprised newly raised infantry battalions of the same regiments from Eastern England: * 6th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment (to 204th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) 13 September 1942)Joslen, p. 367. * 8th Battalion Suffolk Regiment (to 143rd Infantry Brigade 4 September 1942)Joslen, p. 328. * 10th Battalion Essex Regiment * 10th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment (joined from 207th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) 17 November 1940, returned 21 February 1941)Joslen, p. 370. * 10th Battalion Somerset Light Infantry (joined from 143rd Infantry Brigade 4 September 1942) * 13th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment (joined from 213th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) 13 September 1942)Joslen, p. 376. The brigade was attached to 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division (31 October 1940 – 26 February 1941) and then Essex County Division (26 February–22 July 1941) before coming under the command of XI Corps. 3rd Parachute Brigade 223rd Independent Infantry Brigade was converted into 3rd Parachute Brigade on 7 November 1942, and its battalions were converted as follows:Joslen, pp. 386, 411. * 10th Somerset LI became 7th (Light Infantry) Parachute Battalion * 13th Bn Royal Warwicks became 8th (Midlands) Parachute Battalion * 10th Bn Essex became 9th (Eastern and Home Counties) Parachute Battalion 3rd Parachute Brigade took part in the airborne landings in Normandy on D-Day (Operation Tonga) and the crossing of the Rhine (Operation Varsity). The 223rd Brigade number has never been reactivated. Notes References * Maj A.F. Becke,History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2b: The 2nd-Line Territorial Force Divisions (57th–69th), with the Home-Service Divisions (71st–73rd) and 74th and 75th Divisions, London: HM Stationery Office, 1937/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-847347-39-8. * Lt-Col H.F. Joslen, Orders of Battle, United Kingdom and Colonial Formations and Units in the Second World War, 1939–1945, London: HM Stationery Office, 1960/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2003, ISBN 1843424746. External sources * The Long, Long Trail * The Regimental Warpath 1914–1918 * David Porter's work on Provisional Brigades at Great War Forum * Category:Military units and formations established in 1915 Category:Infantry brigades of the British Army Category:Infantry brigades of the British Army in World War I Category:Infantry brigades of the British Army in World War II Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1942